


Playing Fair

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Post War, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-09
Updated: 2008-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-27 08:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10805232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: All's fair in love, war and family reunions.





	Playing Fair

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

  
Author's notes: Beta work by Wolfiekins.  


* * *

 

 

"Go on Ron, you’ll have another cup of tea, won’t you?” Hermione’s mother said as she simultaneously patted his arm, refilled his cup of tea and carried on her conversation with someone who Ron vaguely remembered as Hermione’s great aunt Maude. 

He had long since given up saying ‘No, thanks’ to any offers of food or drink and gave a small smile to the women. 

He was sandwiched between the two of them on a large beige sofa and all he could think of was escape. He had gone from feeling awkward to welcomed, to happy and then to suffocated in the space of the four hours he’d been in Hermione’s home. 

What was supposed to have been a small impromptu family party for Hermione’s birthday had transformed into a get-together for her extended family as they also welcomed the Grangers' home from Australia. Hermione’s parents had taken it as their chance to celebrate the end of a war they’d been protected from and could mention nothing about. 

Ron was just glad he’d been able to properly celebrate Hermione’s birthday with her the day before, because they hadn’t had a chance to even say more than two words to each other since they’d walked into the house. 

And now? 

Now, he’d escaped from the sofa only to find himself cornered by two of Hermione’s second cousins, who she herself hadn’t seen in years. 

He’s been doing quite well, valiantly holding his own until they had started discussing the offside rule, at which point he’d suddenly become preoccupied with getting another slice of cake. His way to the cake had been blocked however, by Hermione’s father. 

He sighed. From awkward to happy enough and then straight back to awkward again… When he was left alone for a moment he spotted Hermione looking through a photo album with two other women. She caught his eye, gave an apologetic smile and shrugged. It was great to see her so relaxed and happy and she chatted with the women who Ron vaguely remembered meeting earlier in the evening. 

She may have been relaxed, but he definitely wasn’t. 

Maude Granger had decided that Ron was much too skinny and needed fed. Now, as much as Ron liked his food, there was a limit to the amount of times he could put up with the elderly woman pinching his cheek, tutting and saying, “So thin…too thin…come with me and I’ll find you something to eat.” 

Making a quick getaway through the back door, he gratefully sat down on the steps. He watched as cars lazily meandered around the bendy road at the bottom of the garden and shivered slightly in the cool breeze. 

“It can’t be that bad, can it?” 

He smiled and lifted his head. “Nope.” 

Hermione sat down beside him, handing him a mug of tea, “Well, I thought that if you had to escape, then you should at least have warm hands!” 

He hugged the warm tea and smiled at her teasing, “It’s not that bad really, in fact it's been nice to meet everyone.”  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him as he shrugged and smiled.   
  
“Nice?” She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.   
  
“Confusing, welcoming, awkward, interesting and a bit…well…yeah.” He shrugged again. “It’s been nice.”  
  
“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to spend much time together, Ron.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it.” He sat the tea on the ground and took her hands in his. “They’re just happy to have you home for a bit, it’s fine, really.”  
  
“Still, it must be difficult to have to watch what you say and do…” Her voice trailed away.   
  
“Hermione.” Ron turned to look as her. “It really is fine, I’m fine.”  
  
Hermione smiled. “I know.” She produced a large bag of chocolate sweets which she’d been hiding behind her back. She carefully opened the bag and withdrew a small chocolate covered sweet. She took her time eating it before turning to Ron with a wry grin.  
  
“So, what were you and my dad talking about earlier?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I saw you and my dad talking an hour or so ago,” Hermione said as she slowly withdrew another sweet.   
  
Ron looked back out over the garden. “It was nothing. We were just chatting, that’s all.” He fiddled with the sleeve of his jumper and began to look about his feet for his abandoned mug of tea.  
  
“You’re lying.”  
  
“No, I’m not.”  
  
“Ron, I know you, you are lying. I’d like to know why.”  
  
“Hermione, seriously, there’s nothing to tell.”  
  
“Oh really?” She placed another chocolate in her mouth and chewed it slowly, meaningfully.  
  
Ron tapped his foot against the concrete step, suddenly very aware of what Hermione was playing at.  
  
“Would you like a chocolate Ron?” She sweetly offered the bag to him. “They’re muggle sweets but they are delicious.”   
  
Ron eyed her suspiciously. “Okay.” He wasn’t surprised when the bag was swiftly withdrawn and a smile flitted across Hermione’s face.   
  
“What did you and my dad talk about?”   
  
A full blown smile filled Ron’s face as he folded his arms and leaned against the door frame. He took great delight in the silence, picking up a stone and then sending it flying across the garden, listening to the chatter from inside the house and watching the light begin to disappear from the sky before he took a deep breath and responded .  
  
“You underestimate me, Hermione.”   
  
Laughter drifted out from the house and music was turned up as Ron left Hermione to make the next move. He wasn’t a chess master for nothing and was happy to wait for it. He knew how to look ahead, to anticipate his opponent's next move and he wasn’t disappointed.   
  
Her lips softly touched his.   
  
“Well, now, you’re not exactly playing fair,” he whispered, already planning his next move with a smile on his face.

 

~~~ * ~~~ 

  


 


End file.
